[All pictures of garden wildlife on this page are thumbnails. Click on any thumbnail for a large format to be displayed.]

Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)

Clickhere for the bird's sound.

This bird is in our garden in winter only. But not all winters! In some years it flies south from Scandinavia through Holland and appears for some days in both autumn and spring. However in years with warm winters it sometimes stays around. Then you can see it taking food from the ground, or ocassionally from the feeding table in mixed group of birds. These groups normally exist of Chaffinches, Blue Tits, Bramblings and sometimes Redwings. Sometimes other Finches or Tits also mix in.

This bird belongs to the family of Finches (Fringillidae). It is in our garden infrequently and can be seen in Holland october - march. The bird is 6" and weighs 23 grams. It lives in woodlands, parks and larger gardens mostly. It eats insects and seeds. Compared to the male, the female's head is more brownish with spots and she shows less contrast than the male does. The breeding season is from may to july. The nests are made in trees and each time five to seven eggs are being laid. The parents sit on the eggs for 13 days, after which starts another period of 13 days during which the young will be fed on the nest.